Vitamin E supplements may raise the risk of lung cancer, doctors have warned.

A study of more than 77,000 people found that taking moderate to high doses of vitamin E led to a "slight but significant" increase in risk of the cancer that kills on Briton every 15 minutes.

Although the link was strongest among smokers, the "anti-ageing" vitamin also appeared to raise the risk of the cancer among non-smokers.

The study is not the first to link vitamin supplements to lung cancer, with previous research showing that beta carotene, a building block of vitamin A, can raise the risk by as much as 18 per cent.

Lung cancer claims more than 33,000 lives a year - the most of any cancer in Britain - with only five per cent of patients still alive five years after diagnosis.

The latest research, carried out at the University of Washington in Seattle, adds to growing evidence that vitamin supplements are a poor substitute to a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

The researchers monitored the health and vitamin intake of 77,126 men and women between the ages of 50 and 76 for four years, recording how many of them developed lung cancer.

By the end of the study, 521 had been diagnosed with the disease, the American Journal of Respiratory Care and Critical Care Medicine reports.

Analysis found unsurprising links between lung cancer risk and smoking, family history of the disease, and age. But in addition to these, they uncovered the unexpected association with vitamin E.

The increased risk was equivalent to seven per cent rise for every extra 100 milligrams of vitamin E taken per day over 10 years.

This translated into a 28 per cent increased risk of lung cancer for someone regularly taking a high 400 milligram dose of the vitamin.

Multi-vitamin supplements tend to contain 100 to 300milligrams of vitamin E. However, some individual supplements contain more than 400milligrams per tablet.

Researcher Dr Christopher Slatore said: "In contrast to the often assumed benefits or at least lack of harm, supplemental vitamin E was associated with a small increased risk of lung cancer."

His team also found no evidence that multi-vitamins or vitamin C reduced the risk of lung cancer.

Six years ago, a Finnish study of 29,000 male smokers found beta carotene supplements raised the risk of the cancer by 1 per cent.

The finding prompted calls for bottles of vitamin supplements to carry health warnings for smokers.

In an article accompanying the latest study, Dr Tim Byers, from the University of Colorado, said the idea that vitamin supplements do us good comes from the desire to believe the benefits of a healthy diet can be obtained from a pill.

Fruits contain many compounds aside from vitamins, he said.

Dr Slatore added: "Future studies may focus on other components of fruits and vegetables that may explain the decreased risk (of cancer) that has been associated with fruit and vegetables.

"Meanwhile, our results should prompt clinicians to counsel patients that these supplements are unlikely to reduce the risk of lung cancer and may be detrimental."

The study follows other recent research showing vitamin D does little to cut the risk of cancer, while vitamin C pills do little to stop people catching a cold.

Experts have warned that some supplements carry the danger of overdose or can interact dangerously with prescription medicines.e

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